Author: Anita Bose

Pranayama is popularly understood as a variety of breathing exercises. However there is more to it. Apart from filling the lungs with fresh oxygen, the purpose of Pranayama is to use the effective air circulation in the physical body to influence the flow of Prana or energy in the Pranamaya Kosha or the energy Sheathe enwrapping our body.

Before a child is born, it gets its entire oxygen supply from the mother. After birth, the doctor, nurse, parents, all wait anxiously for the baby to start breathing. If there is slight delay, there is a panic. The nurse holds the baby upside down, the doctor slaps the baby’s back. Then when a shrill cry is heard, all tension melts away – the baby is breathing! From that moment onwards the breathing process remains involuntary. However, what we fail to understand is the difference between a voluntary beneficial way of breathing and the automatic breathing for survival. In general, humans breathe badly. Shallow, brisk, involuntary breaths. Thus we develop improper breathing habits, using only a small part of the lung capacity. This causes shallow breathing and deprives the body of sufficient oxygen and energy or prana, essential for good health and leads on to lack of resistance to disease, making us easy prey to extreme stress and chronic ailments.
An essential prerequisite for a calm and contented state of mind is a consciously controlled rhythmic deep and slow respiration. Untrained, irregular breathing disrupts the rhythm of the brain and causes physical, emotional and mental blocks. Through a deliberately controlled breathing practice or Pranayama, an immense amount of energy, trapped in the dark neurotic thought patterns, can be released for use in creative, rewarding and joyful activities.
In simple words, Pranayama consists of breathing in, breathing out, inward breath holding and outward breath holding. Literally speaking ‘Pran’ means energy or life force that exists in all things and the definition of ‘Ayama’ is, extension or expansion. Hence true Pranayama is the unique technique or proven, age old tools, to activate, circulate and strengthen the energy system, which then permeates into other dimension like vibration and resonation. The undeniable consequences of serious Pranayama techniques are rapidly getting acceptance of modern science and medical faculties.
Yoga-meditation breathing is based on natural breathing, consisting of the rhythmic inward and outward flow of the breath through nose. Consciously observe this flow of cool air reaching throat, chest and lungs. Bring full awareness of the expansion and subsiding of ribcage, rising and falling of the diaphragm. Abdominal breathing is the most natural and efficient way to breathe. However, often under extreme stress, poor posture, and to a certain extent, lack of guidance from guardians, this procedure is flouted. Irregular breathing throws into disarray the regular rhythms of the brain, causing physical, emotional and mental blocks. In the long run afflicted individuals show signs of inner conflict and personality disorder, leading to chaotic lifestyle and diseases. When correct form of breathing is restored, healing and repairs begin and one starts to experience an improved state of physical and mental well-being. Thoracic breathing uses the expansion of the rib cage, to make more room for extra air in the middle lobes of the lungs. Yoga meditation uses all these methods to optimize inhalation and exhalation.
There are various Pranayama techniques. Each technique concentrates on a specific area of human body and enriches the entire body mind and soul.
It is believed that there is an intimate connection between the breathing process and the flow of energy or prana along the nadis (energy channels) and chakras or energy grids. Prana, the life energy manifests in physical platform as movement and action and on mental platform as conscious, subconscious and unconscious thought process. Through committed Pranayama practice, the performer attempts to fathom the cosmic nature and partake the supreme wisdom to conquer afflictions and petty limitations. The basic requirements for success with yoga-meditation are sincere determination, an ethical livelihood and a well structured livelihood in which unselfish thoughts and controlled breathing play an important role.

The popular trend in the Western society is a belief that ‘regular physical activity seems to be the most important contributor to prevent disease and promote health’. This statement seems incomplete. Of course, physical activities are of immense importance for good health, but for preventing disease, physical activity or yoga postures alone, constitute one half of the complete picture. You need to practice meditation, to achieve the goal of preventing disease. It’s a wonderful news that doctors and scientists are coming to terms with accepting and affirming thousands of years old concepts, beliefs, and findings of ancient yoga enthusiasts.

Yoga is an ancient philosophy. It upholds pure consciousness as the ultimate reality, superimposed by duality of mind and body (Purusha and Prakrity). Following the directives of Yoga, helps to balance the mind and body, taking the individual self closer to the universal life force,the impregnate dynamic energy. The significance of yoga is not just in physical exercise, though it is an essential requirement for good health. The real emphasis should be on meditation. Meditation requires stringent self discipline, mindfulness and breathing exercises, which is possible only when one is in a reasonable state of health. Certain specific yoga asana or body postures, open energy channels and psychic centres and increase the sense of balance. Each posture has a direct influence on stimulation and control of hormonal secretion. Regular practice of yoga/meditation, even for short sessions, but with the right motivation and mindset, can become a pleasurable experience, with unlimited benefit to humanity.

A recent science article from England, mentioned, “The studies show that these mind-body exercises appear to suppress the expression of genes and genetic pathways that promote inflammation”. Inflammation is at the root of immune system, which guards our body against external or internal damage.In cases of chronic disease or prolonged tension, the good work of immune system gets jeopardized and inflammation spreads within the body, undermining mental and physical well being. Scientific studies are now suggesting that if untreated for a long time, inflammation can change the pattern of genes. Medical world are doing all they can to keep things under control. However, the cheapest, simplest and the most invigorating method of keeping fit in body, soul, and mind, through yoga/meditation and healthy diet has remained grossly neglected for too long. Health benefits of meditation are enormous no doubt. Researchers at Harvard Medical School found that serious meditation influences the autonomous nervous system, which controls the autonomous body activities, such as digestion, blood circulation and body’s hormonal surges. There are advanced meditation practices that can work wonders by opening the gateway to profound intuitive wisdom and deep emotional resilience. According to Yoga philosophy, body is the gross form of mind or consciousness. Practice of yoga matures that realisation. If science and metaphysics worked hand in hand,the advance in higher knowledge, with implicit health benefit, in all these fields, would have been greater and faster.

Arthritis is a disease that can occur at any age. Generally it affects any joint with variable intensity. The inflammation of joints cause pain, stiffness, swelling and restricted movements. In most cases there is a deterioration of soft tissues that cover and protect the joints. In some cases excess uric acid is the cause. Also, too much body weight and unhealthy lifestyle may lead to a form of arthritis. Healthy diet is very important for arthritis.
So far we are not aware of complete remedy of arthritis through prescription medicines, though there are medicines to give temporary relief during extreme conditions. Tests carried out at yoga therapy centers around the world show remarkable results in bringing under control and in some cases even curing arthritis. Though it is a gradual process, yoga-meditation, particularly the breathing exercises, if done regularly it could be the solution to arthritis.
More and more doctors and medical practitioners are coming to acknowledge the role of yoga meditation in curing or managing arthritis. It is an established fact that mind plays an important role in any physical condition, thus it is very obvious and a proven fact that by calming the mind half the battle is won in preventing and curing arthritis.
Regular practice of yoga postures, pranayama or breathing exercises and meditation, calms down and gives strength to the body and mind. Most sufferers feel great relief and are able to manage their affliction, as their fear and anxieties virtually disappear.
Yoga has a stabilizing effect in body’s immune system. It has been proved that regular practice of yoga meditation increases tolerance to infection and improves the respiratory, digestive and blood circulatory system. After a certain period the patient is able to manage his arthritis better and feels that he is on the way to complete recovery.
Yoga meditation, by reducing anxiety gives the patient access to their own internal experience and helps them to ascertain the exact cause of the ailment and what causes the condition to worsen, which comes more and more through self awareness. Yoga meditation not only increases self awareness, it regulates breathing patterns and improves lung function.
The quality and variety of food intake has a direct effect on the disease. Healthy Arthritis diet consisting of, fresh organic fruits and vegetables, nuts and seeds, unsaturated fat and bio yogurts should constitute a major part of the diet. Least quantity of carbohydrate and animal protein and very little sugar and salt should be consumed by arthritis sufferers.
Thus, to sum up, eat pure and simple food, do gentle yoga postures, meditation and breathing exercises for a minimum 20 minutes every day and do positive thinking about gradual improvement of your health and give up worrying. There is no reason why your affliction should not become manageable and eventually be cured.

It is believed that, arthritis joint pain is directly affected by the weather and barometric pressure. In 1960, Dr. J. Hollander, an arthritis specialist demonstrated, how increased humidity and reduced barometric pressure, increases stiffness and joint pain in arthritis patients. He also added, during high barometric pressure, pain in fibromyalgia sufferers increases. But finally, no link between weather change and increase in arthritis pain, were found. Any alteration in weather generates an effect on patient’s mind that, this weather change will make conditions worse.

It is believed that cold and rainy season, reduces air pressure. This pressure reduction causes body tissue expansion, that also causes more swelling and pain in inflamed areas. But another theory suggests that with lowering of temperature level, arthritis joint pain reduces. Probably, cold season makes them happy, as they feel comfortable, which makes them active and do exercise and yoga postures regularly, which keeps pain under control. Too often, arthritis sufferers give excuses of weather change for severity in their level of pain.

Several natural factors that are believed to affect arthritis pain:

i) Air Pressure or barometric pressure: Drop in air pressure in stormy weather causes increase in pain and aches.

ii) Precipitation: Precipitation means entering of water into ground. Water may be rain water, snow, hail and sleet. This process is also responsible for alteration of air pressure and humidity.

iii) Humidity: Humidity is the amount of water vapor present in air. During summer, arthritis pain is promoted by increase in humidity which measures the amount of water vapor related to moisture present in air at certain temperature.

Though some changes in climate promotes pain, stiffness and swelling in arthritis sufferers, there is no scientific proof and explanation of it.

In conclusion, there is no environment, temperature wise or pressure wise, in which one can live without arthritis pain. So far experiments in this field has not arrived at a conclusive result on effect of weather and air pressure on arthritis sufferers. If you are arthritis sufferer, do not worry too much about hot and cold temperatures, whatever the climate, do exercises regularly and more importantly have nutritious diet in all meal time, which will undoubtedly reduce pain in all kinds of arthritis. Fresh fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices can work wonder in reducing inflammation and pain in a arthritis riddled body, particularly regular intake of turmeric, berries and citrus fruits.

Similarly physical exercises have immense advantages in reducing pain and long term healing.

Benefits of garlic. Looks beautiful, smells horrible, tastes repulsive (when raw), yet added to your cooking and meal turns delicious. It not only makes food delicious, benefits of garlic is uncountable. You must be wondering what am I talking about? Nothing more than innocent garlic bulb, oozing with nutrition.

Drinking water to lose weight should be the first word in weight loss journey. In fact, most people don’t know that when they feel hungry, they may actually be dehydrated and they are really thirsty, not hungry. Water is remarkable as well. Over 66% of your body weight is nothing but water. This is also why water plays an important role in weight control.

TIP #1 :

Drink plenty of water. It is recommended that you drink 8 glasses per day, but that may take you some time to work up to. Your body needs a whole lot of water. Water doesn’t just flush all the toxins out of your body, but it makes you feel better and healthier. When you drink a lot of water you just begin to feel fit and this is the motivation you need drinking water to lose weight.

The best thing about water is you can drink as much as you want because it has no calories at all. When you’re drinking water to lose weight, you eat less as well because you won’t feel as though you are starving to death. Remember, if you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water first and you’ll realize you were probably just dehydrated and not hungry at all.
The whole 8 glasses a day rule is really something you should strive for. The best way to do this and to measure your water intake is to buy a jug from the drug.store or grocery store that is designed to hold exactly 8 glasses of water. These are great weight loss tools because you can fill them up, freeze them and as it melts throughout the day you have fresh and cold water. Or, if you don’t mind your water room temperature you can drink it that way as well. All that matters is that you’re getting in the water your body needs.

TIP #2:

Start off your day with a fresh, clean glass of water. As soon as you get up in the morning, drink one down. Drinking water to lose weight is also beneficial for detoxification.This will help your body to get going because it won’t be fighting through dehydration. Also, after you drink a glass of water you won’t need to eat such a large breakfast. A glass of water wakes up all the digestive juices in your body and gets it well lubricated. You can always have your morning coffee or tea, but be sure to have a glass of water afterwards. Caffeine dehydrates you and you want to ward off dehydration.

TIP #3:

Drink a glass of water before you sit down to eat. Water will naturally make you feel fuller so you don’t have to eat as much food.

TIP #4:

Have a glass of water while you eat as well. Take a drink after each bite and you will feel full more quickly so you can leave the table feeling satisfied without feeling bloated. Drinking water while you eat will also help your food to settle more quickly, which also helps you to feel full faster.

TIP #5:

Do your best to stay away from soda. All sodas are sweetened with lots of sugar. The more you can cut out of your diet the better. Also, diet soda is still soda. It may not have as much sugar, but it has other chemicals and components that are not good for your body either. If you drink a soda, counteract it with a glass of water. Remember, caffeine dehydrates you as well. Decaffeinated sodas still have caffeine in small amounts as well and just as much sugar, so they are not much healthier either.

TIP #6:

Fruit juice isn’t as healthy as most people think either. Juice actually has a lot of sugar in it as well. If you are craving a glass of juice, drink fresh fruit juice instead of juice that has artificial flavors and coloring. It is even better if you can make your own fruit juice. Just be sure not to add too much sugar which adds to the calories. Instead of drinking fruit juice, eat whole fruit so that your body should get needed fiber as well as vitamins.

TIP #7:

Go easy on the tea and coffee. They are pretty much harmless if you don’t add a lot of cream and sugar to them. It is the cream and sugar that becomes fattening. Think of it this way, when you have a cup of coffee or tea with cream and two cubes of sugar, you are essentially eating a piece of chocolate cake every time. Now think of how many pieces of cake you are eating when you have a Venti Starbucks Latte – yikes.

TIP #8:

If you must have your tea and coffee, try to drink it black. Black tea or coffee actually has health benefits to it as long as you counteract the caffeine in your body with a nice big glass of water. Caffeine is also not good for you because it affects functions in your body, like your metabolism.
Another type of tea that you can drink freely is green tea. Green tea has been used as a medicine in China for over 4,000 years. It aids the digestive system and can help ease an overly full stomach and it has been linked to a reduction in cancer risk.

TIP #9:

If you can say no to alcohol, then that is best. Alcohol beverages are not exactly good for you, although a glass of red wine does have heart benefits, most are just fattening. Beer is especially fattening. Cocktails are fattening depending on what they are made of. For instance, whiskey and Coke. The whiskey may not be fattening, but the Coke definitely is. Plus, after a few drinks most people get the munchies and when you’re feeling a little inebriated and hungry you won’t be able to make rational decisions regarding your diet and it’s usually late at night, just before you pass out from a night of drinking, that you overeat. The overall combination is just not a good one.

TIP #10:

If you must have alcohol, try dry wine. Dry wine is better than your sweet wines, because sweet wines have more sugar! Dry wines have sugar, but most of it has been fermented away into alcohol and from a weight gaining perspective, dry is better.

TIP #11:

Another word on coffee, that is not necessarily bad, but more interesting than anything. Some people have reported that when they drank black coffee before exercising, they lost more weight. There’s no scientific proof to back this, but nutritionists believe it may be caused by the body being forced to depend on fat for fuel. Hey, it’s worth trying if you can stand black coffee. Just remember to drink plenty of water during your exercise!

TIP #12:

When you are drinking water to lose weight, try to avoid drinking excessive amounts of coffee, as it desensitizes your body to the natural fat burning effects that caffeine has. One or two cups (if the day’s really slow to get started) max.

When most people think about losing weight and eating, they think about dieting. Well, unfortunately, all of the fad diets out there tend to cause people to gain weight. Why? Because they starve them to death and the person eventually breaks down and eats everything in sight because they are so darn hungry. They also deprive them of the foods that they love. These are not right way of losing weight. You only cause yourself stress, which actually causes you to gain weight!
So, in eating right there a few weight loss tips that you can follow each and every day and they’re not going to deprive you of the foods that you love, but treat those foods as luxury items so you enjoy them that much more.

TIP #1:

Eat fresh fruit and vegetables that have high water content. These are foods like tomatoes, watermelons, cantaloupe, kiwi, grapes – you get the idea. All of those fresh and flavorful juicy fruits and veggies are good for you. These items contain about 90 to 95% water, so you can eat a lot of these and they will fill you up without adding on the pounds.

TIP #2:

Eat fresh fruit instead of processed fruit. Anything that is processed as more sugar. Processed and canned fruits also do not have as much fiber as fresh fruits.
TIP #3:
Increase your fiber intake as much as you can. This usually means eating more fruits and veggies.

TIP #4:

Veggies are your friends when it comes to shedding pounds. There are tons of options here and you may even want to try some you haven’t had in the past. The leafy green varieties are the best and you always want to work in a salad when you can. Salads are packed with nutrients as long as you don’t pour too much dressing on and load them with too much cheese. The leafy greens also have a lot of natural water.

TIP #5:

Be intelligent about what you eat. Don’t eat just to eat. Animals eat on instinct; people eat when they know their body really needs it. Don’t be an impulse eater.

TIP #6:

Watch everything you consume from the food itself to what you top it with. Garnishments and condiments can sabotage a healthy meal because they are typically high in fat.

TIP #7:

Get a handle on the sweet tooth. This doesn’t mean you can’t have your sweets; just don’t eat them as a meal. Always remember that these sweets end up adding to an area that you don’t want them to add to. Don’t deprive yourself either though, because then you’ll eat twice as many as you should.

TIP #8:

Set meal times and stick to them. Try to have your meals at specific times and eat them at that time. An eating pattern will help you to control what you eat and when you eat it. Also, it really is better to have 5 small meals a day rather than just one or two huge meals. Just eating once a day makes your body feel as though it is starving, which packs on fat instead of using it as fuel. Also, don’t wait until your starving to eat. This only makes you overeat until you’re stuffed.

TIP #9:

Eat only when you are hungry. Be sure to drink a glass of water first to determine if you really are hungry or if you are really thirsty. Many people have the tendency to eat when they see food. It doesn’t mean they are hungry; they just want to eat it. Don’t eat anything you’re offered unless you really are hungry. If you feel you must eat it out of being polite, just nibble, don’t have a meal.

TIP #10:

Try not to snack between meals, but if you must have a snack make sure it is a healthy one. If you travel a lot try to find healthy snacks and not junk food.

TIP #11:

Veggies make great snacks. They can get you through the hunger pangs if you are having them. Carrots are great because they satisfy hunger and they are packed with nutrients.

TIP #12:

Counting calories is a good idea for those must have food items. If it is a packaged food item, then it will have the calories on the packaging. Be sure to pay attention to serving sizes in terms of calories as well. An Otis Spunkmeyer muffin is intended to be two servings, so you have to double the calories listed. This is where food producers get tricky and you can’t fall in their trap.

TIP #13:

Work off the extra calories by the end of the week. If you feel you have splurged too much this week, be sure to get to the gym or go walking a little longer to work off those extra calories you have consumed.

TIP #14:

Stay away from all things fried. If it is breaded, it is better that it is baked. Fried foods are immersed in fat and oil. Even after the excess has oil has been drained away, there is still oil absorbed into the food item itself.

TIP #15:

Don’t skip meals. You should have, at the very least, three meals a day, but preferably five small meals. This will keep you from getting hungry during the day and overeating out of starvation.

TIP #16:

Just like fruits, fresh vegetables are better than those that are canned. It is even better if you can eat your veggies raw. When you cook them, you cook away the nutrients. If you must cook them, try to boil them to the point that there is still some crispness to them. Also, don’t soak them in butter. If you can buy organic and pesticide free veggies, that is even better.

TIP #17:

Don’t eat more than one egg per day. It is best if you can reduce your egg intake to three a week.

TIP #18:

Chocolates should be treated as luxury items. Buy the good stuff and only eat them every once in awhile. If you really savor each morsel, you’ll experience that much more joy in eating them and they will taste even better.

TIP #19:

Eat foods from all of the food groups each day. This is a great way to ensure you are getting all the nutrients your body needs and it helps to ward off any diet deficiencies. Also, don’t eat the same foods all the time. Experiment so that you don’t get bored with same old diet.

TIP #20:

Try to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up. This is the best way to give your body the jump start it needs. Don’t wait until you are really hungry.
Breakfast is important, but you don’t need to stuff yourself. The idea is that you’re breaking the fast from not eating all night.

TIP #21:

Your diet should include all aspects of the food groups including carbohydrates. In fact, your diet needs to be about 50-55% carbs. Though carbs are a great source of energy, low carb diet helps in losing weight. Those diets that prohibit carbohydrates are actually harming you and only making you crave them that much more. Your diet should cause you to be deficient in anything.

TIP #22:

Proteins should make up only 25-30% of your diet. Far too much emphasis is put on meat as the main part of your meal. In actuality, it should be considered more of a side dish rather than the main course.

TIP #23:

Fats should make up 15-20% of your meal. This is really all the fat your body needs. A lot of this is going to be in your diet in the form of cream, sugar and the like.

TIP #24:

Eat more white meat than red meat. White meat includes chicken, fish and some other fowl. Red meat includes beef and pork.

TIP #25:

Try to go as vegetarian as you can. This really is a healthier lifestyle, even if you can’t cut meat out completely. The more fruits and veggies you can eat the better. The more meat you cut out, the more fat you can cut out of your diet as well. However, protein is important, so be certain that your option allows you to maintain good protein levels.

TIP #26:

White bread is good, but high fiber multi grain breads are much better. These breads are another way to add more fiber to your diet and they also have a good protein level.

TIP #27:

Pork does not assist in losing weight in any way. The less pork you eat, the better off you will be when trying to lose weight. Pork has a high fat content and includes food items such as bacon, ham and sausage.

TIP #28:

Limit your sugar intake as much as possible. If you must have sweetener in your coffee and tea, try to find an artificial sweetener that you don’t mind the taste of. However, these things are not all that healthy either and should be limited as well.

TIP #29:

Try grazing five to six times a day. These are those small meals we discussed earlier. Some people losing weight better when they never feel hungry and grazing on healthy food items can do this for you. Plus, it keeps your metabolism working, which will burn fat naturally.

TIP #30:

Don’t worry about cheating, but don’t cheat for a meal. Eat sweets and your favorite cheat food for the flavor only. If you want dessert after dinner, share one with the whole family. You’ll get the flavor, but not the pounds.

TIP #31:

Watch your fat intake. Each fat gram is 9 calories. If you know your total calories then you can figure the amount of fat in those items.

TIP #32:

Take it easy on the salt and try to cut what you use in half. Salt is one of the main causes of obesity.

Do you want to lose 6 pounds quickly? While many diets are geared at people who want to lose 20 pounds or more, the plan I’m presenting here will help you in quick weight loss approx 6 pounds – perhaps in just one week.
For quick weight loss, the first thing you want to do is clear out your pantry of all the foods that make you fat. Clean out your refrigerator and throw things away. Donate the packaged food in your pantry to a local food bank.
Then, go to the grocery store and buy the following sixteen things only:
1. Whole wheat bread
2. Tuna
3. Any and all fruits
4. Any and all vegetables
5. 8 oz. steak
6. Two chicken breasts
7. Salad vegetables
8. Balsamic vinegar
9. Special K Cereal
10. Skim milk
11. Brown rice
12. Instant oatmeal (not the sweetened packaged kind though)
13. Sliced turkey breast
14. 3 servings of fish
15. Low fat yogurt
16. Eggs
Using these foods as the basis for your diet, write out a diet plan for the next seven days. After that, you will be fully committed to sticking to it. Part of the motivation for clearing out your kitchen ahead of time is that there will not be any food that you can “cheat” with.
Next, you want to get a pedometer and make sure that you walk at least 10,000 steps each day. That may seem like a lot, but here are some ways that you can get extra steps in.
1. Park far away from the front door of your work or a store. Not only will you get extra steps in, but you will have a much easier time parking.
2. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you work above the fourth floor, get off of the elevator at least two floors early and walk the rest of the way.
3. When you have to contact a colleague at work, don’t phone or email them, walk over to their office or desk.
4. If you take the bus or other form of mass transportation, get off a stop or two early and walk. It will help in quick weight loss.
5. Walk the dog. If you don’t have a dog, volunteer to walk the neighbor’s dog.
6. Take a walk before dinner. Not only will you increase the number of steps you take that day, but a walk before dinner will reduce your appetite.
Finally, try to drink at least eight, 8 ounce glasses of water each day when you are trying to lose weight. You can do this by drinking one liter of water at work and another liter at home. If you don’t like water plain, it is okay to substitute unsweetened iced tea or sugar free lemonade or punch.
It is possible to lose 6 pounds in a week. Try radically altering your diet, walking more, and drinking a substantial amount of water. It’s not a lifetime that you will be restricted to this plan, it’s just a week. And, you’ll be able to lose 6 pounds in that time.

Is there a link between drinking water and weight loss? Yes and one that has been scientifically proven. Water for weight loss should consume with or after food helps to bulk out our food, sending messages to the brain to say that we are full so we will eat less. Water also helps in aiding the absorption of vitamins and minerals in our food. For example, fat needs water in order to be broken down and used by the body. Water also helps to flush out the waste material in our bodies and thus helps keep us in optimum health.
So how much should you be drinking and when. Amount of drinking water for weight loss is at least 2 liters of water a day, more on hot days. You should spread your consumption throughout the day. There is no need to drink bottled water as in most areas tap water is perfectly safe. If you do prefer the bottled variety, steer clear of the flavored ones. These products contain sweeteners which do not help with weight loss and may be carcinogenic.
If you do not drink sufficient water, you will feel lethargic, tried and confused. Your body may misinterpret your feelings of thirst as hunger and thus you can over eat. In fact by the time you feel thirsty your body is already starting to dehydrate hence why should drink regularly. You may find that initially you have to go to the bathroom more often but your body will soon adapt to the increased volume.
Drinking water on its own won’t win your weight loss battle. You need to make changes in other areas as well including your diet and the level of exercise you undertake. You should aim to be doing at least twenty minutes of exercise per day. Walking 10,000 steps per day is one good way to get those calories shifted.
Any form of exercise is good for you so try to do something you enjoy. Get a group of friends together to play tennis or golf. Mixing socializing with exercise is a great way to increase your physical activity. Small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, standing instead of sitting down and getting off the bus/subway at the stop before yours also helps.
There is no point in drinking loads of water and taking exercise if you are still eating fast food every day. You need to retrain your palate and make your diet healthier. Do it gradually. Replace your favorite bad food with something healthy. Swap your chicken nuggets for a salad. Increase your fruit and vegetable consumption while decreasing the amount of cakes, candy and bad fats you eat. Not only will you lose weight but your skin will love you too.
Drinking water for weight loss will also help to give you glowing skin and you will soon become the envy of your friends when you show off your new slimmer figure at the next social occasion.

Green tea leaves are harvested and dried before they even ferment. This process ensures that benefits of drinking green tea keeps many of its healthy properties compared to other teas which undergo a lot of processes. Organic green tea produces a fresher and more aromatic flavor that many people love and enjoy. Aside from its taste and aroma, green teas are patronized more for their benefits to the overall condition of the body. They are now included in many diets and are made into diet supplements in the form of pills and extracts as well.
Basic Facts about Organic Green Tea
Men have been drinking organic green tea for over half a million years now. Its medicinal effects have been known by Chinese people long before researches and experiments have been done to prove its benefits. The history of green tea traces back from Asian culture, used as a beverage or an herbal medicine. As a matter of fact, history reports show that organic green tea was used as an astringent before to control bleeding and to help heal wounds.
What Makes Organic Tea Special
Catechin Polyphenols, a powerful antioxidant can be found richly in green tea. The compound is known to kill cancer cells, lowers bad cholesterol levels, and inhibits formation of blood clots. What sets organic green tea apart from other tea like oolong, and black tea is how it is processed. Organic green tea is steamed so its important compounds are not oxidized. Other teas are usually made from fermented leaves which make the beneficial health compounds not as effective as when it is only steamed.
Health Benefits of Green Tea
The popularity of green tea grew with the interest in fitness and healthy lifestyle. Tea contains a group of compounds called Polyphenols which acts as antioxidants to the body. Great benefits like preventing cancer have been proven to come from drinking organic green tea. Aside from that, here are a few more benefits of drinking green tea to the health of a person:
• Prevents flu – Green tea can boost immunity against influenza
• Lowers Blood pressure – Blood pressure can be lowered by 50% by drinking at least two cups of green tea a day
• Cleanses the Digestive System – Tannins in tea cleanses the digestive tract and can calm a troubled stomach
• Aids in Weight Loss – Organic green tea is rich in antioxidants known as catechins which helps reduce the absorption of fats. Metabolism is also increased by drinking a cup to two of green tea everyday

• Dental Health – Cavity is prevented with the aid of fluoride from green tea. Aside from that, antioxidants kill bacteria and thus fresher breathe is obtained
• Bone Strength – Organic green tea is rich in Vitamin D which helps maintain bone density that helps arthritis patients.
Harmful Effects of Organic Green Tea
The hazards of green tea to the health are due to its caffeine. Insomnia can be experienced by those who consume more than five cups of green tea a day. However, compared to coffee, green tea contains lesser caffeine.

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